What does an emergency medical doctor do?
Emergency medicine most commonly sees patients that come to the emergency room for medical care. This includes everything from needing refills for daily medications to severe car accidents. Emergency medicine doctors can also be seen working in urgent care and over the internet during telemedicine visits for less severe medical conditions.
Are emergency room doctors real doctors?
Yes, emergency medicine doctors are specialists that have attended medical school and completed a residency in emergency medicine. While emergency medicine doctors see all types of patients, they are specialists in resuscitation. Resuscitation is the process of taking a dead or dying patient and reviving or stabilizing them so they can receive further care. This is most important for victims of car accidents, gunshot wounds, stabbings, heart attacks, or severe medical illnesses.
Do emergency medical doctors diagnose?
Sometimes emergency medical doctors can diagnose illness and other issues. But more commonly, emergency medical doctors and emergency rooms are equipped to rule out life-threatening emergencies. There are many medical conditions that cannot be diagnosed without multiple tests, repeat visits, and consultations with multiple specialists. These conditions are not diagnosed by emergency medicine doctors. Some of the most common medical conditions that can be diagnosed, or ruled out, in the emergency room are:
- Heart attack
- Severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis)
- Blood clots in the lung
- Severe infections
- Bowel obstructions
- Broken bones
- Stroke
- Bleeding in the brain
- Injury to the spinal cord
- Damage to muscles, nerves, or blood vessels
Do emergency medical doctors perform procedures?
Yes, a large part of emergency medicine is performing procedures. Many of these procedures are done for patients that are seriously injured and require the procedure to survive. There are also some minor procedures that emergency medicine doctors perform. Some of these are:
- Placing and removing stitches
- Lumbar punctures to diagnose meningitis
- Putting broken bones back in place
- Making casts and placing slings
- Draining abscesses
Are ER doctors better than regular doctors?
Like with any specialist, that depends on the condition that is being treated. An emergency medicine doctor is the best doctor available to begin the treatment of a stroke, traumatic injury, heart attack, or another severe medical condition that results in death or near-death. For these deadly conditions, emergency medicine doctors are able to begin critical life-saving treatments and call appropriate specialists faster than any other doctor. Less severe medical conditions are better treated by an internal medicine doctor, family medicine doctor, or pediatrician.
Do ER doctors deliver babies?
Yes, emergency medicine doctors are trained to care for pregnant mothers, deliver babies, and care for both the mother and infant after birth. They have much less training in delivery than obstetricians and gynecologists (OBGYNs) and giving birth in the emergency department is never ideal. Despite this, all emergency medicine doctors are prepared to perform a delivery in the event of an emergency.
